Three years ago at this time, Nathan Shepherd was just hoping to land an offer to walk on at an American junior college, despite having been out of football for two years.

On Friday night, the Ajax, Ont., native did far better than that. He landed in the NFL.

The New York Jets selected Shepherd with the eighth pick of the third round, 72nd overall, on Day 2 of the NFL draft in Dallas.

That’s the earliest a Canadian has been selected in the draft since 2011, when the Philadelphia Eagles picked offensive tackle Danny Watkins of Kelowna, B.C., in the first round, 23rd overall.

“I’m on Cloud 9,” Shepherd told reporters on a conference call. “It’s been a phenomenal experience, and I just can’t wait to see what happens.”

Shepherd, a muscle-packed defensive tackle, eventually got an offer in 2015 to walk on — not at a “JuCo” but, even better, at Fort Hays State University in Kansas. He eventually starred there and earned the scholarship he’d been promised if he played well enough.

Shepherd turned NFL talent evaluators’ heads with his play last year as a senior, then was the talk of the Senior Bowl this past January after dominating against top college offensive linemen. He impressed again in early March at the NFL Scouting Combine, after which he rocketed up draft boards.

The 24-year-old had been rated anywhere from 43rd to 50th on many draftniks’ hot-board rankings entering the three-day draft. But as offensive players came flying off the board through most of Round 2 early Friday evening, many defenders with second-round grades fell to the third round.

Shepherd thus completes a dream he’d had since first playing football as a grade-schooler with the Ajax/Pickering Dolphins Football Club, later at J. Clarke Richardson Collegiate in Ajax, and for two years after that at Simon Fraser University in suburban Vancouver.

It was when he ran out of money to pay for tuition and living in that expensive city that Shepherd left football for two years, to save up for what he hoped would be an American post-secondary-school path to the NFL.

Shepherd told Postmedia at the combine that he never wavered in his belief that he’d some day make it to the NFL.

“These are the guys that you get excited about,” Jets GM Mike Maccagnan told a late Friday night news conference. “If we’re going to invest in a guy that maybe had a different path than somewhere else, we think he has a lot of potential, but not only that but sort of the character and work ethic to kind of fulfil it.

“He’s a guy we like quite a bit. He’s from the Toronto area, where my wife is from. Talking about Canada a bit was a nice little connection with him.”

Jets head coach Todd Bowles said of Shepherd:

“I definitely think he’s a lot more pro-ready than a lot of people think … He’ll definitely play in the (defensive line) rotation … He’ll be ready once he goes to training camp.”

HOMETOWN PICK

University of Texas offensive lineman Connor Williams, one of a handful of holdover invitees who didn’t get drafted in Round 1, wore a light-blue coloured suit jacket Friday night, in honour of his barely cloaked love of his hometown Dallas Cowboys.

Well, the Cowboys drafted him in the second round, 50th overall.

Williams couldn’t get through his on-stage interview with NFL Network without stopping, bending over and weeping with joy. He said he didn’t care he had to wait an extra day to find out where he was playing.

All worth it, he said.

COUNTER-POINT

Remember last year’s draft in Philadelphia, when Dallas Cowboys star from the 1970s, Preston Pearson, ripped into the Philly crowd by bragging about all the Cowboys’ achievements over the years, especially their five world championships, compared to the Eagles’ meagre resume.

Well, paybacks are a botch, or something like that.

Long-time Eagles placekicker David Akers, meek voice and all, got even – and then some – in delaying his announcement of Philadelphia’s 49th overall pick.

“WHAT’S UP, DALLAS?! We heard you in Philly last year,” Akers bellowed, to loud boos from something approaching 100,000 fans at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

“Tonight I’m representing the Philadelphia Eagles, NFC East champs, divisional champs, NFC champs and WORLD CHAMPS! The world champs!”

That was the uppercut. It set up this memorable knockout punch:

“Hey, Dallas. The last time you were in the Super Bowl, THESE DRAFT PICKS WEREN’T EVEN BORN!!!”

Zinggggg.

Akers ought to be able to sign pricey autographs and sell cars on TV in Philly for the next 20 years.

WITTEN RETIRES

Amid non-denial denials and no official confirmations, reports Friday said Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten is retiring to replace Jon Gruden as commentator on ESPN’s Monday Night Football telecasts.

“My understanding is the deal is done,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said, in standing by his earlier report.

Witten in 15 NFL seasons, all with the Cowboys, missed one game – in 2003, his rookie season – and caught 1,152 passes for 68 touchdowns and 12,448 yards.

CUTLER DONE AGAIN

Reports said quarterback Jay Cutler, for the second consecutive spring, is retiring. He ended last year’s retirement when Miami Dolphins starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill blew out a knee early in training camp.

PATRIOTS TRADE FOR TACKLE

During the day on Friday, New England acquired offensive tackle Trent Brown from the San Francisco 49ers, in a trade that also saw the Patriots ship their third-round pick (95th overall) to the Niners in exchange for San Fran’s fifth-rounder (143rd overall).

This, a day after New England selected Georgia tackle Isaiah Wynn 23rd overall.

EXTRA POINTS

The UCLA football program tweeted photos Friday of Tom Brady working out on the Bruins’ practice fields in Westwood. Brady has yet to report to the New England Patriots for April workouts … The NFL’s 83rd Draft concludes Saturday with rounds 4-7, starting at noon EDT. Teams have five minutes to make a pick in Rounds 4-6, and four minutes in Round 7. ABC is simulcasting ESPN’s live coverage, while FOX is simulcasting NFL Network’s feed.

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